Harrow and cultivator.



No. 629,629. Patented July 25, I899.

' J. A. UNDERWOOD.

HARROW AND CULTIVATOR.

(Application filed Mar. 16, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 Shasta-Sheet l.

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Patented luly 25; I899.

J. A. UNDEBWUOD.

HARROW AND CULTIVATUB.

(Application filed. Mar. 16, 1899.)

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' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES ANDREW UNDERFVOOD, OF CONDRAY, MlSSOURI.

HARROW AND CULTIVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 629,629, dated July 25, 1399.

Application filed March 16, 899. Serial No. 709,288. (No model.)

To all ll/72,0717, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES ANDREW UNDER- WOOD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Condray, in the county of Dent and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in l-Iarrows and Cultivators; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertaius to make and use the same.

This invention relates to spring-teeth cultivators and harrows. Y

The object of the invention is to provide a convertible cultivator and harrow' having spring-teeth that will be economical in construction and may be readily adjusted so as to work deep or shallow in the soil and so that the teeth-frames and teeth may be swung laterally and wherein a draft may be applied to the rear of the teeth-frames, while providing for the free elevation of said frames and withdrawing the teeth from the earth.

The invention consists in combinations of instrumentalities hereinafter described, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a plan view of my improved machine. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a transverse section showing the axle and the means of suspending the teeth-frames'from said axle. Fig. 4 is an enlarged elevation showing one of the teeth,

the tooth fasteners or clamps,a tooth-support,

and a shoe. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective of one of the teeth holders or clamps.

1 is an arched axle carried bysuitable wheels or trucks and to which is rigidly attached a wooden frame 2, with hounds3 3 for carrying a suitable pole or tongue. Mounted upon this wooden frame is What I term a ladder or support 4, which carries a crank-shaft. 5, a quadrant 6, and a lever 7 for operatingthe crank-shaft. Adj ustably connected with the archedaxle is what I call a false axle or counter-shaft 8, arranged parallel with theparts of the axle and adapted to be adjusted up and down upon or with relation to said ples 1O 10. By hanging the teeth-frames in this way they are permitted to have a free lateral movement to the right and left. otally connected with the false axle isa seatstandard ll, which is supported by a crossbar 12, carried upon the teeth-frames. The rear ends of the teeth-frames are adjusted up and down, so as to bring them to any desired position with relation to the wooden frame by means of chains or connections 13 l3betwcen said frames and the cranks on shaft 5.

14 14 are spring harrow orcultivator teeth, made in substantially the form shown'in Fig. at of the d-rawings that'is, having a concave or bend at the forward end, then running back straight for ten or twelve inches, then with a gradual curve for eighteen or twenty inches, and then with a sharp or approximately circular curve to the point, making.

the length altogether fifty inches, more or less. Above or on the back side of the teeth I provide what I call tooth-supports, which extend parallel with the shank of the teeth for eight or ten inches and then curve upward, leaving the teeth-shanks free to bend, the support acting in the" manner of a fulcrum around which the shank of the tooth bends. The teeth and their supports are conveniently coupled with the longitudinal bars of the teeth-frames by means of holders or clamps 15, one of which is shown in detail in Fig. 5. These holders or clamps consist of castings having a central perforation for receiving a bolt with crown-flanges 16, having notches diametrically opposed to each other and with a disk-like body having perforations through which they maybe adjusted with relation to the bars of the frames to give any required angle to the teeth with relation to the frames.

To assemble the teeth, the teeth-supports, and the teeth-holder, the two parts of the holder are adjusted so that the notches in the flanges Will engage the edges of a tooth anditssupport. Theholder-castingsarethen interposed between a pair of longitudinal bars, and a bolt is then passed through the axial openings in the holders and between a toothand its support. In this way the teeth and their supports and the holders are coupled together and also coupled with the frame in a convenient and ready manner.

In order to prevent thereaction of a spring- Pivtooth from carrying it too far or striking too deep into the ground after it has passed over an obstruction, I provide a gage or limitingshoe 17. This shoe is made to embrace the shank of a tooth and operates in the nature of a stirrup to catch the tooth on its rebound. The draft-chains or whiffletrees are connected with an arched bar 18, connected with the front end of the swinging teeth-frames, the draft-chains extending backward from the arched bar to a crank or lever 19 at the rear end of the teeth-frames 9, which in normal position will hold the arched draft-bar in a vertical position, but when turned down gives slack in the draft-chain, so that the teethframes maybe readilylift-ed to raise the teeth out of the ground. The crank or lever 19 is arranged in easy reach of the riders seat, as shown, for convenient manipulation.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings I have shown my invention with a tooth arranged between the teeth-frames, and in this condition the device is used as a harrow. By the removal of the middle or central tooth I have two independently-suspended teeth-frames, and the machine is in this form adapted for a walking or straddle-row cvltivator, and as a cultivator there would be provided a handle for each one of the teeth-carrying frames.

As shown, the cultivatoris a five-tooth cultivator. Obviously any additional number of teeth may be provided for making either a seven or nine tooth cultivator, as may be desired.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. In a cultivator, the combination of avertically-adjustable beam or false axle, a pluralityof teeth-frames, and staples or links for flexibly connecting the frames with the beam or axle, substantially as described.

2. In a cultivator, the combination of a vertically-adjustable beam or false axle, a plurality of teeth-frames, staples or links for flexibly connecting the teeth-frames with the beam, at scat-frame and seat carried by the teeth-frames, and meansfor holding the'teethframes in a horizontal position, substantially as described.

3. In a cultivatorhaving teeth-frames flexibly connected with the adjustable beam or false axle, the combination with said frames of a lever or crank and a draft-chain leading from said lever or crank, and means for lifting or raising the teethfra'mos, substantially as described.

at. In a cultivator, the combination of a Vertically-adjustable beam or false axle, a plurality of tccth-frames flexibly connected with said beam, a seat-frame and seat carried by the teeth-frames, means for adjusting the teeth-frames in horizontal position, a crank or lever connected with the rear end of the teeth-frames, and a draft-chain coupled with said crank or lever,substan tially as described.

5. In cultivators,the combination ofa toothholder having central perforation, crownfiange and notches in said flange, a springtooth, and a bolt for coupling the holder and the tooth, substantially as described.

6. Incultivators,thecombinationofateethframe and teeth-holder, substantially as described, a tooth-support, a bolt for coupling the holder, teeth and frame, and a shoe or stirrup for taking rebound, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES ANDREW UNDERWOOI).

\Vitnesses:

E. J. YELToN, .Tos. CAMPBELL. 

